Making Denver’s Halloween healthier

This Halloween, Americans will spend an estimated $2.38 billion on candy. Denver is likely to spend more per person than most states, because Colorado marginally outspends the national average on candy and sweets. Unfortunately, the mass consumption of treats at Halloween reinforces unhealthy eating habits among children, many of whom are already unhealthy: In Colorado, 27.2 percent of children are obese — nearly twice the nationwide rate. And as nine out of 10 parents admit to sneaking sweets from their children’s trick-or-treat bags, Halloween also adds to the waistlines of Denver’s adults, 20.7 percent of whom are already obese or overweight, according to the “F as in Fat” report by the Trust for America’s Health.

Although Denver recycles an impressive 60 percent of its waste, mountains of disposable plastic and paper plates, cups, crockery, and wrappers — from the more than 9 million pieces of candy — will pile up as the festivities wind down. The rest is destined for ever-growing landfills. The production and distribution of Halloween candy also contributes to massive CO2 emissions, which accelerate the process of global climate change.

Fortunately, Halloween does not have to reinforce unhealthy eating habits and an environmentally damaging culture of consumerism. Instead of distributing packaged candy at Halloween celebrations, families, schools, and individuals can use the holiday as an opportunity to teach children the importance of eating food that is both healthy and good for the environment—and everyone involved can learn that healthier treats can be just as satisfying as high-fructose corn syrup infused candy.

Fortunately, groups and organizations in Denver are actively promoting a healthier approach to Halloween. The Culture of Wellness in preschools is a partnership between the Colorado School of Public Health and the city of Denver, which aims to provide schoolchildren in the Denver metro area with access to healthy eating options, nutrition education, and structured physical activity. The project also runs 26 centers that advance research on public health and run community workshops that raise awareness on a healthier diet.

Numerous organizations in Denver are dedicated to making Halloween an environmentally friendly holiday. From minimal waste party planning tips to festive eco-activities for kids, Entercom’s 1 Thing initiative provides ideas for parents and schools on how to green their celebrations. This year, the Denver Zoo is encouraging all attendants of their annual Boo At The Zoo After Dark to bring their own reusable bags and buckets in an effort to prevent extra waste.

And across the United States, countless projects are connecting kids directly to local, healthy food year round. For the past 20 years, the Food from the ‘Hood program — an urban gardening initiative in South Central Los Angeles — has provided a space for at risk-youth to grow kale, eggplant, and 16 varieties of heirloom tomatoes, 25 percent of which they donate to the city’s hungry. This is just one of many innovations highlighted by the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project and the Barilla Center for Food & Nutrition (BCFN) in the new book Eating Planet: Challenge for Mankind and the Planet, which examines the effects of individual eating habits on health and the environment.

Halloween does not have to encourage practices that lead to childhood obesity — and ultimately to problems like osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and liver problems — and environmental degradation. Innovative programs like the Culture for Wellness in Denver and Los Angeles’ Food from the ‘Hood are teaching both children and adults the value of a healthy, environmentally conscious lifestyle.

This October, let’s forfeit treats made with high-fructose corn syrup and costumes produced thousands of miles from Denver. The time is ripe for a profound change in the way we think about and celebrate American holidays, especially Halloween.

Danielle Nierenberg is project director of the Worldwatch Institute’s Nourishing the Planet project (www.NourishingthePlanet.org). Hitesh Pant is a research intern at Nourishing the Planet.

Vincent Carroll is The Denver Post's editorial page editor. He has been writing commentary on politics and public policy in Colorado since 1982 and was originally with the Rocky Mountain News, where he was also editor of the editorial pages until that newspaper gave up the ghost in 2009.

Guidelines: The Post welcomes letters up to 150 words on topics of general interest. Letters must include full name, home address, day and evening phone numbers, and may be edited for length, grammar and accuracy.

To reach the Denver Post editorial page by phone: 303-954-1331

Posts by Category

Posts by Category

Idea Log Archives

Idea Log Archives

About The Idea Log

The idea log The Denver Post editorial board shares commentary and opinion on issues of interest to Coloradans.